Video data is generally processed and transferred in the form of bit streams. A video encoder generally applies a block transform coding, such as a discrete cosine transform (“DCT”), to compress the raw data. A corresponding video decoder generally decodes the block transform encoded bit stream data, such as by applying an inverse discrete cosine transform (“IDCT”).
Deblocking filters are often used in conjunction with block-based digital video compression systems. A deblocking filter can be applied inside the compression loop, where the filter is applied at the encoder and at the decoder. Alternatively, a deblocking filter can be applied after the compression loop at only the decoder.
A typical deblocking filter works by applying a low-pass filter across the edge transition of a block where block transform coding (e.g., DCT) and quantization was performed. Deblocking filters can reduce the negative visual impact known as “blockiness” in decompressed video, but generally require a significant amount of computational complexity at the video decoder and/or encoder. Accordingly, it is desirable to reduce the computational cost of deblocking in block-based digital video compression CODECs.